Articles by James Cleary

James Cleary
Deputy Editor

James Cleary is CarsGuide's Deputy Editor, with over four decades’ experience across automotive editorial, marketing, product planning and creative advertising.

He has written for national and international titles including Wheels, Drive, Carsales, Motor and Top Gear Australia providing everything from new product assessment and feature writing to industry analysis, news content and expert advice.

He’s spent time as an advanced driving instructor, and had the opportunity to experience rare and valuable classics here and overseas.

James worked in the PR and advertising/sales promotion teams at Mercedes-Benz Australia and has managed the Marketing Communications and Product Planning functions for Peugeot Australia. He also directed advertising client service for Hyundai Motor Company Australia and Volvo Australia.

James has a Bachelors Degree in Communications from Macquarie University and driving qualifications from multiple advanced schools, including Ian Luff Motivation.

He has been a member of the CarsGuide team for 10 years and as Deputy Editor manages everything from sub-editing to back-end platforms while creating written and visual content.

Expertise

  • New product assessment
  • Industry analysis
  • News content
  • Expert advice
  • Feature writing

Experience

  • BMW Performance Driving School
  • Lamborghini Winter Accademia
  • Master Maserati Driving School
  • Mercedes-AMG Snow Performance School
  • Porsche Level 4 Master training
  • Volkswagen Driving Experience program

Education

  • Bachelor of Arts (MassComm) | Macquarie University | 1981-1984

Featured publications

Peugeot's focus on design & electrification
By James Cleary · 28 Sep 2022
Peugeot says its customers love the brand's design and are embracing its move towards electrification.
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Citroen still calling Australia home!
By James Cleary · 22 Sep 2022
Citroen has been in the Australian new car market for close to a century, however in recent years the flow of sales has slowed to a trickle. But the brand says it is here to stay.
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New Merc-AMG C 63 S gains big power & weight
By James Cleary · 22 Sep 2022
Mercedes-AMG has made its C 63 S even more powerful with the introduction of the new E Performance sedan and wagon. They're staggeringly fast and impressively efficient. But if your after that signature V8 burble you'll have to look elsewhere.
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Peugeot's Aussie power play!
By James Cleary · 20 Sep 2022
Peugeot has pushed up its Australian prices, but says demand is strong, and there's new product on the way.
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Sparkies rejoice! Ford E-Transit Custom 4 Oz!
By James Cleary · 08 Sep 2022
Ford has confirmed details of the zero-emissions version of its Transit Custom commercial van that will occupy Australian showrooms in 2024.The one-tonne E-Transit Custom boasts a new EV powertrain, an official range of 380km, and 124kW fast-charging abil
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Tesla, Kia & Genesis EVs hit five-star ANCAP!
By James Cleary · 08 Sep 2022
EVs are heavy, and more often than not, seriously fast. So, safety is an even more important factor when thinking about buying an electric car. And this trio of mid-size, five-seat EVs has just scored a maximum five-star ANCAP rating.
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Toyota's Aussie market domination grows!
By James Cleary · 07 Sep 2022
The new car market may be down, but Toyota is up... again, by an even greater margin, and there's a batch of new models on the way before the end of the year.
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Porsche Cayenne 2023 review: Turbo GT
By James Cleary · 06 Sep 2022
You've heard of a supercar, now meet Porsche's latest superSUV, the Cayenne Turbo GT, combining jaw-dropping performance with everyday practicality. It's twin-turbo V8 produces enough kilowatts to power a small town, yet it's as civilised as any upper-luxury family-sized SUV. We spent a week behind the wheel to see if it lives up to its split-personality reputation.
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Ram ups the ante in full-size pick-up war!
By James Cleary · 06 Sep 2022
The looming full-size pick-up war is heating up, with Ram upgrading the spec of its 1500 models ready to take the fight to the Chevrolet Silverado, Ford’s F-150, arriving in Australia in mid-2023, and the Toyota Tundra, scheduled for local introduction in the fourth quarter of next year.
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BMW's next M2 is nearing release
By James Cleary · 28 Aug 2022
In less than two months BMW is scheduled to pull the covers off the 2023 BMW M2; likely the famous Bavarian brand’s last ‘pure’ combustion M performance car.
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